Storage-battery clamp



june 24, 1930. E R, HEBERT A,766,515

STORAGE BATTERY CLAMP Filed July 25.*1926 gmebev Patented .lune 24, 193@UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STORAGE-BATTERY CLAMP Application filed July23, 1926. Serial No. 124,472.

The invention relates to improvements in storage battery clamps and anobject of the invention is to provide a soft metal clamp which may belead reinforced to effectively s withstand continued use and which isdesigned such that corrosion and oxidization are reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lead battery clamphaving a reinforc- 1@ ing core, such permitting of an effectiveelectrical contact being made and maintained with the battery post.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lead clamp having aninterior reinforcement and to provide the clamp with clamping means forattaching the same to a battery post and to arrange the parts such thatwhen the clamping means is tightened up on the post, the strain is takenup by the reinforcement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a battery clamp formedfrom lead and having a strong metal in the interior thereof whichreinforces the lead and an adjustable clamping jaw operating in ananchoring nut, the nuty being associated with the reinforcing member insuch a manner that when the screw is tightened up to clamp the jawagainst the inserted post, the strain is taken up by the reinforcingmember.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced batteryclamp having a loosely inserted nut` engaging the clamp, an adjustingscrew carried by the nut and a jaw mounted on the inner end of thescrew, the jaw, screw and nut being removable as a unit from the clamp.

With the above more important objects in view, the invention consistsessentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinaftermore particularly described, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the clamp attached to a bindingpost of a battery.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the clamp.

50 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member which iscontained in the clamp.

Fig. et is a horizontal sectional view at 4 4 Figure 5, the adjustingscrew being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalview at 5-5 Figure 4, the adjusting screwbeing shown in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is an end View of the clamp, the adjusting screw being shown invertical section.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the several figures.

The battery l is of the customary type and is provided with the usualterminals, one of which at 2 is herein shown. The clamp which I havedesigned is utilized for connecting the customary cable 3 to the postand is shortly described in detail.

I might primarily remark thatI am aware that bronze and such metallicclamps are now in use, such being dipped in lead to give them anexterior lead face. I might remark, however, that in such clamps, thelead is simply a thin exterior' coating covering the otherwise bronzefclamp and can not in any way be considered as a reinforced lead clamp.Such clamps readily deteriorate as the thin coating of lead quicklywears or chips off and the clamp then quickly co1'- rodes or oxidizes.

I might further remark that owing to the I manner in which such leadcoated clamps are made, it is impossible to apply a thick coat for thereason that if one coating has been put on, another one cannot beapplied for the obvious reason that reheating would melt the lead and onaccount of its heavy specific gravity, the molten lead would run off. Imake the above remarks in order to initially stress the point that alead dipped clamp is not in reality a reinforced lead clampsuch as Iprovide.

The reinforcing 4 for the lead clamp is herein show as a somewhatU-shaped iron bar or strip which has the ends thereof provided withinturned hooks or -auchoring flanges 5 and 6. The lowerends of theflanges may be connected together by a connecting portion 7 whichprovides a somewhat U-shaped opening 8. The connecting portion 7 is notessential as it only gives the completed clamp additional strength. Ialso supply two similar screw threaded bolts 9 and 10 having enlargedheads 11 and 12. Twosuch bolts are provided for convenience purposes asthey permit one to connect the cable to the clamp at either side asoccasion demands. Obviously a single bolt could be used if desired.

The reinforcement and bolts are then placed in a mould, the bolts atthis time be,- ing held in respect vto the reinforcement in the sitionbest shown in Figure 4 and the rein orcement having the lower edgethereof elevated above the bottom of the mould. The lead or such softmetal body 13 of the clamp is then poured into the mould and go entirelycovers to a considerable thickness the reinforcement.

Suitable cores are provided such that the large end of the mouldedreinforced lead clamp will have a terminal receiving eye or g5 verticalhole 14 in the end thereof and a substantially rectangular pocket 15opening to the side of the eye, it being observed that the bottom of thepocket is closed by a lead cross web 16 andthat the outer end of the 3opocket has a vertical slot 17 therein which is in reality the slot 8with a covering of lead thereon.

It will be also noticed that the head ends of the bolts are moulded inlead and are real inforced by moulded lead bosses 18 and 19. A nut 21 isprovided which slides down into the outer end of the pocket and restsagainst the end of the pocket and the nut carries an adjustin screw 22having the` outer end thereof tted with a hexagonal head 23 and theinner end carrying a jaw 24 which is readily movable lengthwise of thepocket upon the screw being turned. The screw, nut and jaw can beremoved at any time as a unit.

The cable 3 is supplied with a lead head 25 having the end thereofcounter bored and screw threaded to receive the projecting end of thebolt 9 or that 10 depen ing on which is the most convenient to use.

When this reinforced lead clamp is to be used, one turns the screw towithdraw the the clamp on the terminal or post 2 of the battery with thepost extending upwardly within the opening 14 and then by applying awrench to the head of the nut and turning the screw, the jaw is advancedinto contact with the post and effectively clamps the device on thepost.

I Wish here to particularly point out that the strain brought on theclamp, when the screw is tightened up, is transferred to the inturnedhooked ends or flanges 5 and 6 of the reinforcing member 4 with theresult as by abnormal that the lead bod of the clamp is not impaired. Iaccor in ly have a very effective clamp which wi stand up to the workfor which it is decsigned, the lead forming an effective electri contactwith the post and being not subject to corrosion or oxidation and thereinforcing member carrying all the clamping strain to which the deviceis subjected.

I mentioned hereinbefore that the cross portion '7 was not entirelynecessary.

usedfit will prevent any possibility of they clamp breaking whensubjected to abuse such and unnecessarytightening of the jaw. On theother hand, however, if not used, the clamp will stand up under normalconditions as there is practically no out thrust on the flanges when thejaw has been tightened suiciently on the post for all practicalpurposes.

Whilst .I have entered into a detailed description of the particularclampin means used, I wish it to be understood tat this might bematerially altered without departing from the more important feature ofthe invention which relates to the lead or similar soft metal clamphaving an `interior reinforcement.

What I claim as my invention is:

A lead battery terminal clamp having a substantially U-shaped lead bodypresentm a vertical terminal openin at one end an havin the other endvertlcally slotted and provi ed with a horizontally'disposed integrallyformed cross web, an internal substantially U-shaped reinforcing platecontained within the leadbody and terminating 1n opposing inturnedabutments situated at the end of the clamp remote from the terrnlnalopenin a nut located adjacent to the inner side o the slot, engaging theabutments and bearin on the cross web, an adjpsting screw carried by'the nut and extending towards the terminal opening and a jaw carried bythe inner end of the screw.

Signed at Winnipeg this 20th day of April, 1,926.

ERDMAN R. HiEBERT.

from the opening 14. He then places v

